Three teenagers in Tampa were charged after police said they were involved in a series of violent attacks in the early hours of July 13. Two people were injured, including a homeless man who is currently in critical condition, the Tampa Police Department said.
A 16-year-old, a 14-year-old and a 13-year-old are now facing multiple charges, including attempted murder.
Police say “the group had planned to harass and assault homeless individuals for entertainment because they were ‘bored.'”
TPD said the first attack happened around 2:30 a.m., when the group assaulted a man in his mid-40s and a woman in her mid-30s on E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The teens approached the pair, “verbally antagonized them, and began throwing rocks at them,” police said.
The woman was hit with a rock in the back of her head and was injured.
Around 7:45 a.m., TPD said, officers found an unhoused man in his mid-60s on N. Nebraska Avenue, just a quarter of a mile away from the other attack. The man was severely injured and unresponsive behind a closed business and was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.
Officers said the victim “remains on a medically necessary ventilator as medical professionals monitor his condition.”
An officer first identified the teens, noting that before the two attacks were linked, the three suspects, as well as a 16-year-old girl, had been taken into custody following an unrelated call due to multiple car burglaries on Emma Street, where police say they recovered clothing and evidence that linked them to the 2:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. incidents.
“The fact that boredom is cited as a reason for criminal activity at any level, let alone attempted murder, is highly concerning, and those responsible will be held fully accountable,” Chief Lee Bercaw said. “While many teens in our city actively participate in constructive, city and department-sponsored programs, there is simply no excuse for the senseless behavior demonstrated by this group.”
Two of the teens were arrested on July 16, TPD said.
Both were charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon evidencing prejudice and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. One of the teens was also charged with battery and exposure of sexual organs due to an unrelated incident reported by a woman in a nearby park as the teen was being detained, police said.
The third teen allegedly involved was already in custody at the Hillsborough Juvenile Detention Center for an unrelated incident. He was charged for the attacks on July 21 and is now facing attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon evidencing prejudice, too.
The three teens, along with the 16-year-old girl taken into custody after the burglaries on Emma Street, are all facing charges for burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, police added.
Anyone with information on this case can reach out to the Tampa Police Department by calling 813-231-6130. You can also submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 800-873-TIPS (8477)